The business community united by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (AmCham Ukraine) calls on international partners to urgently strengthen air and maritime defense over Ukraine, in particular the Odesa region and Black Sea port infrastructure.
Russia continues to destroy and humiliate American business in Ukraine. Russia’s latest missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine and the Odesa region have:
- injured and killed civilian port workers and ship crews
- damaged ports, energy facilities, grain storage, and commercial vessels
- cut terminal operations by up to 50%, with some terminals shut down and most running on generators
- caused large power outages and extra costs due to generator use
- damaged power plants and electricity networks that need urgent repair
- limited railway access to ports
- caused commercial vessels to incur demurrage due to operational disruptions
The current situation poses a direct risk of disruption to global food and commodity supply chains, with far-reaching consequences for international markets and food security, including rising food prices and worsening hunger levels in vulnerable countries.
Estimated losses incurred by grain and oilseed exporters are difficult to assess in real-time, but are currently estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars per month. Without a substantial strengthening of air and maritime defense systems, both Ukrainian and international businesses will face critical operational challenges, including the inability to charter vessels and secure insurance coverage for ships, crews, and cargoes.
AmCham Ukraine calls international partners to urgently reinforce Ukraine’s air and maritime defense capabilities to safeguard civilian lives, critical infrastructure, ports, and the continuity of global trade and food supply chains.
